Polish · Real conversations
Say you do not know naturally in Polish
It is useful to say when information is missing. Give a short honest answer, offer to find out if you can, or explain that you lack enough knowledge to form an opinion.
Three ways to say it
Nie wiem.
I don't know.
A simple honest answer when you do not know a fact.
Nie mam pewności, ale mogę się dowiedzieć.
I'm not sure, but I can find out.
Acknowledge uncertainty and offer a realistic next step.
Nie wiem o tym wystarczająco dużo, żeby wyrazić opinię.
I don't know enough about that to give an opinion.
Explain why you are not ready to give an informed opinion.
Avoid translating word by word
English 'find out' means obtain information, not locate something outdoors. The target-language phrase may use a verb for checking, asking, or learning; keep that information-seeking meaning.
See the difference in context
A question about a book's author
Kto napisał tę książkę?
Who wrote this book?
Nie wiem.
I don't know.
Finding out an office's opening time
Wiesz, o której otwiera się biuro?
Do you know when the office opens?
Nie mam pewności, ale mogę się dowiedzieć.
I'm not sure, but I can find out.
Your turn
Someone asks for an opinion on an unfamiliar subject. Say you do not know enough about it to give an opinion.
Reveal a sample reply
Nie wiem o tym wystarczająco dużo, żeby wyrazić opinię.
I don't know enough about that to give an opinion.
This speaking goal in other languages
A note on speaking Polish
Polish distinguishes familiar ty from polite pan and pani. Choose pan when addressing a man and pani when addressing a woman formally; the paired forms shown in examples are alternatives, so say one. A formal question usually uses a third-person verb, such as Czy może pan …? First-person past and conditional forms can change with the speaker’s gender.
Keep letters such as ą, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ź, and ż. Noun and adjective endings can change with their role in the sentence. Learn the complete expression before replacing a name, object, or time.
